Daniel van Steenberghe

Emeritus professor ordinaries KULeuven, MD, PhD, Oral Surg, Periodontol.
Former guest professor at the Universities of Gothenburg, Amsterdam, Louvain and Limburg.
Honorary Citizen of Aix-en-Provence, Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons (Ireland), Doctor honoris causa, Co-opted member of the German Academy of Sciences “Leopoldina” and of the Academy of Medicine of Cordoba, Medal of the City of Paris.

Former president of

  • Belgian Committee for the Bicentennial of the United States of America.
  • Belgian Andrei Sakharov Committee
  • Belgian Society of Periodontology
  • International Society of Breath Odor Research
  • European Association for Osseointegration

Honorary president of

  • International Computer-Aided Implantology Academy

Honorary member of

  • European Association for Osseointegration
  • International Society for Breath Odor Research
  • Slovenian Society Osseointegration
  • Polish Society of Implantology
  • Czjech Society of Osseointegration
  • Pierre Fauchard Academy
  • Academy of Osseointegration

P-I Brånemark Osseointegration Award.
He was (associate) editor of the Journal of Head & Neck Pathology, Clinical Oral Implants Research, Clinical Oral Investigations and the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation. Published > 300 full refereed papers and (co)authored 14 books. Among his PhD and Masters’ students 18 became university professors. He is among the top 2 per cent of the most-cited scientists in various disciplines (Stanford University).

Abstract

"The origin and foundation of the Belgian Society of Periodontology" by Daniel van Steenberghe

Early 1980 I contacted the academics teaching periodontology at the 5 other Belgian universities offering a curriculum in medicine and in dentistry with two proposals:
- harmonize teaching of periodontology
- founding a scientific society devoted to this discipline

All reacted positively which was not so evident at an epoch where in Belgium the exposure to periodontology was scarce. Several of the academics in charge of periodontology were for example also teaching dentistry.

The coordination of teaching developed rapidly with the three Dutch-speaking universities using the same course on periodontology published at the University of Amsterdam. All 6 universities adopted the same oral hygiene techniques and periodontal index.

A few months later, October 28, the Belgian Society of Periodontology was founded.

The field of interest reached beyond plaque-related diseases as illustrated by the first invited international speakers at the annual meeting: Lindhe, Brånemark and Pindborg.

From its foundation year on the Society tried to convince political authorities of the need for oral hygienists and specialist training programs for periodontologists. It also included the Journal of Clinical Periodontology in the membership package. Already one year later the society encouraged research by allocating prices with important financial incentives.